“10 Best Foods to Eat Before Hitting the Gym”
1. Banana
Bananas are a go-to snack for many gymgoers – and for good reason. The fruit is not only portable, and versatile enough to be eaten either alone or chopped up as a topping, but it’s also a plentiful source of carbohydrates that will help get you through your sweat session. One study found consuming the nutrient 15 minutes before running helped boost endurance by just under 13 per cent.
2. Porridge
Up well before you plan to train? While porridge might seem like a rather heavy breakfast, it’s ideal pre-workout sustenance if you factor in ample time for digestion. Not only will its warmth on chilly mornings help wake you up, but oats are a great source of carbohydrates which research has found can be essential for more intense sweat sessions.
3. Coffee
A coffee can do wonders for helping you achieve your fitness goals. Indeed, research has shown that its main active ingredient – caffeine – can help boost performance by reducing feelings of fatigue and increasing strength. One study revealed that it’s best consumed 15 to 60 minutes before warm-up.
4. Nut butter
An easy way to supercharge your toast for exercise? Spread on nut butter. Whether a peanut, almond or hazelnut-based spread, this will add a dollop of protein to your carb hit, stabilising the energy release. What’s more, there is evidence that the amino acids the topping contains can aid muscle recovery – especially if you’re doing a strength training workout at home.
5. Granola bar
Granola bars are a great on-the-go snack if you tend to be in a rush on the way to your workout session. They contain ingredients like oats, nuts, seeds, dried fruit and honey, making them a dense source of energy-boosting carbohydrates. There is evidence that consumption of the macronutrient before a workout can particularly help power strength training sessions.
6. Cottage cheese
It might not seem like your usual pre-workout food of choice, but cottage cheese can serve up some efficient nutritional fuel. The dairy-based topping provides an ideal balance of protein and carbs – when consumed on toast or crackers – which research has found can aid exercise performance.
7. Apple
Apples are an easy item to throw into your gym bag and consume on the go. The fruit is packed with fibre and carbohydrates for slow-release energy, and there’s also evidence that the polyphenols it contains can drive further crunchy exercise benefits – including increased strength and endurance, as well as decreased body fat.
8. Smoothies
If you want to consume something lighter before your sweat session, then sipping on a smoothie is a great option. There is, naturally, the option to blend up whichever foods you desire – from fruit and vegetables to nuts and yoghurt – although you’d be wise to throw in some ginger. A study found it could accelerate muscle recovery after weight training.
9. Toast
Got less than one hour to go before training? Toast makes an ideal option, since it provides fast-digesting carbohydrates necessary for power but without the sluggishness. A study found that overweight, perimenopausal women had a 22 per cent boost in performance when they consumed a high-carb, low-protein snack around 30 minutes before a HIIT session.
